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Supernatural
The supernatural refers to any phenomenon which cannot be explained by normal science. Supernatural beings will often require metaphysical or philosophical explanations to address. There is much debate as to whether or not the supernatural truly exists. As of now, there is no evidence that either proves or disproves its existence making it a difficult realm to tread in hard science fiction. Most of the time, a supposedly supernatural phenomenon can have a completely rational explanation to it. For example, zombies are products of those under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs or as an exotic disease. Nonetheless, some phenomenon remain unexplained. WARNING! Treat the following subjects with utmost care to avoid entangling yourself into a religious debate! Supernatural phenomenon When writing for Galactic Crucibles, treat the supernatural as something that may or may not exist to both avoid straying into the realm of fantasy as well as completely disregarding it. Divine inspiration Throughout history, many well-known leaders and conquerors such as Joan of Arc and Constantine have claimed to have been divinely inspired by a deity, usually in the form of a dream. Dreams like this are usually incoherent, but the character will usually experience profound feelings after such dreams. However, there is still no single agreed upon explanation as to why we dream. Ghosts It may be plausible to believe that ghosts are actually not supernatural at all, as paranormal investigators believe that ghosts are residual energy released when a person dies. Such energy manifests as an intelligent entity that can minimally interact with its environment. Although not yet accepted in mainstream science, evidence towards ghosts has been found as a result of temperature fluctuations and images of apparitions. There are no known ways to effectively communicate with ghosts, but in science fiction, one can allude to them by having a character experience chills. Miracles Miraculous acts are usually documented with religious texts. Most of the time, these are instances of advanced civilizations encountering a more primitive one, although some believe that a select few can heal others with miracles. There is currently no evidence that proves or disproves this as no individual has been thoroughly documented in the modern era to exhibit such powers. Fate Fate is the binding of chains of events to one another. Prophecies coming true are often the result of extraordinarily rare coincidences - the equivalent of winning the lottery. The nature of time is still not fully understood and whether fate exists or not remains unknown. ESP ESP involves the use of telepathy, telekinesis, psionics and other related phenomenon. ESP has been a hot topic for decades having undergone rigorous scientific testing but with negative results. However, effects similar to ESP can be recreated with technology such as magnetism and radio equipment. Mind reading If mind reading were actually possible, it would have little practical use seeing as one cannot extract coherent thoughts from one's head (i.e. sentences). If it were possible at one point in time, it would have quickly become evolutionarily obsolete, because it is far easier to transmit a message to another individual than it is to extract it. Telepathy Effects similar to telepathy can be seen in cooperative animals such as hive-minded insects. As a result, even humans will exhibit greater intelligence when found in groups. However, we cannot immediately claim such phenomenon to be supernatural due to how little we know about the brain. Telekinesis Telekinesis could have a rational explanation as being a form of brain-controlled magnetism. Many who claim to have telekinetic powers are actually taking advantage of phenomena such as surface tension. Psychic energy Psychic energy as commonly seen in fiction is not known to exist. It would be more probable if something manipulating atoms and molecules to redirect them to another destination. Even so, such a feat requires an enormous amount of energy and would be extremely unlikely to find naturally. Category:Science